Tubular section for rotatable display units



Sept. 23, 1969 E. L. REIBOLD TUBULAR SECTION FOR ROTATABLE DISPLAY UNITSFiled June 20, 1967 (5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I 1/ i I 1 I 15 2 i I7 l; ULI

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74a I 4 2 23 J94 Inventor Sept. 23, 1969 E. L. REIBOLD 3,463,423

TUBULAR SECTION FOR ROTATABLE DISPLAY UNITS Filed June 20, 1967 5Sheets-Sheet Elmer L. Pez'bold 65 @43 KM I flzzorney Sept. 23, 1969 E.L. REIBOLD 3,468,428

TUBULAR SECTION FOR ROTATABLE DISPLAY UNITS Filed June 20, 1967 6Sheets-Sheet 5 l l l fl all .w.u"" J'UWl." H 71% V mum mm." 1/

Inventor EZmerL. Rez'bold yuwbj/fizum,

United States Patent 3,468,428 TUBULAR SECTION FOR ROTATABLE DISPLAYUNITS Elmer L. Reibold, 1020 Harrison St, Park Ridge, Ill. 60068 FiledJune 20, I967, Ser. No. 647,373

Int. Cl. A47f /02; F16m 13/02; A47b 11/00 US. Cl. 211-144 6 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In this specification, the gist of thetechnical disclosure resides in a section of tubing having one or moresleeves on the exterior of its wall portion, the pivot post of rotatabledisplay units being insertable in the sleeves, and one or more sectionsof such tubing being mountable in spaced apart relationship on astructural bar member of a conventional store fixture to convert it intoa rotatable display unit.

This invention relates to a tubular section for rotatable display units,the section having one or more sleeve members arranged on the exteriorof its wall portion.

Many conventional merchandising fixtures have exposed structural barmembers which besides being unsightly do not perform any displayfunction. In order to show a given amount of merchandise fordemonstration or sale, more fixtures of the conventional type are neededthus adding to the expense and space required than if these structuralbars could themselves be utilized for display purposes.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a tubular sectionhaving one or more sleeve members po sitioned around its outer perimeterto receive pivot posts of rotatable display units, the tubular sectionbeing adapted for mounting on an exposed structural bar member of amerchandising fixture either singly or in spaced apart relationship withother such tubular sections in whose sleeves the pivot posts of otherdisplay units may be inserted.

It is another object of this invention to provide such tubular sectionswith a decorative external finish, useable with tubular spacing sectionsof like decorative external finish and similar configuration to serve asa sheath for a structural bar member throughout its length.

It is another object of this invention to provide such tubular sectionswhich are not rotatable relative to the structural bar member on whichthey are mounted.

It is another object of this invention to provide such sections whichare easily mountable and positionable on a structural bar member.

A still further object of this invention is to provide tubular sectionswith sleeves which can be made quickly and inexpensively for mounting ona structural bar member to convert it into a useful rotatable displayfixture.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a convenient andinexpensive method of manufacturing tubular sections having one or moresleeve members thereon.

These and other objects of the invention will be readily apparent fromthe detailed description which follows and the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of part of a store fixture havingstructural bar members on which sleeved tubular sections according tothis invention are mounted with intervening spacers, showing a rotatabledisplay unit positioned in the sleeve of a tubular section.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a sleeved tubular section according tothis invention.

3,468,428 Patented Sept. 23, 1969 FIG. 3 is a perspective view of amodified form of a sleeved tubular section having a wall only partiallysurrounding the central cavity.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a sleeved tubular section similar to that shownin FIG. 3 but whose sleeves have walls that only partially surround thesleeve bores, and of a structural bar member in cross-section receivedin the central cavity of the tubular section.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a sleeved tubular sec tion havingsleeves positioned transversely of the tubular section.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a circular sleeved tubular sectionaccording to this invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a tubular section having sleeve boresthrough thick segments of the wall.

FIG. 8 is an elevation view of an extrusion die having die openingscorresponding to the cross-sectional configuration of the sleevedtubular section illustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an extruded length of sleeved tubingafter having passed through the extrusion die illustrated in FIG. 8, andshowing one section cut therefrom to provide a sleeved tubular sectionas illustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a spacing tubular section.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIGURE 1 illustrates part of aconventional store fixture 1 having upright structural bar members 2.Spacing sections 3 are shown mounted on the bar member 2, withinterposed sleeve tubular sections indicated at 4. The sleeved tubularsections 4 include a wall portion 5 extending around a central cavity 6.The interior side 7 of the wall portion has a cross-sectionalconfiguration corresponding to the cross-sectional configuration of theexterior side wall 8 of the structural bar member 2 on which it isadapted for use. The central cavity 6 of the sleeved tubular section 4is slightly larger in cross-sectional dimension than the cross-sectionof the structural bar member 2 to permit longitudinal movement of thesleeved tubular section 4 on the bar member 2 and to allow for theprotrusion of any screw heads or other fastening devices beyond the sidewall of the bar member.

The exterior side 9 of the wall portion 5 of said sleeved tubularsection 4 may be fluted for decorative purposes as illustrated at 10 inFIGURE 3.

The sleeved tubular section includes one or more sleeve members 11arranged on the exterior side wall of the tubular section to receive apivot post 12 of a rotatable display unit 13.

The sleeve members 11 include a sleeve wall 14 extending around anddefining a sleeve bore 15 of circular crosssectional configuration. Thesleeve wall 14 may be continuous and completely surround the sleeve bore15 as shown in FIG. 3, or the sleeve wall 14a may only partiallysurround the sleeve bore 15 leaving a gap 16 between two end portions 17of said sleeve wall as shown in FIG. 4. The gap 16 is smaller than thediameter of the sleeve bore and also smaller than the diameter of apivot post 12 receivable in said bore for rotation, so as to prevent thepivot post 12 from working out of the sleeve 11 through the gap 16.

The length of the sleeve member 11 is of sufiicient dimension to hold alength of pivot post 12 substantially in co-axial alignment therewithand to prevent substantial canting or cocking of the pivot post 12within the sleeve bore.

The sleeve member 11 is preferably arranged with its sleeve bore 15longitudinal of the tubular section 4, the axes of the sleeve 11 and thetubular section 4 thus being parallel. This sleeve arrangement permitsrelatively easy and inexpensive manufacture of such sleeved tubularsections by the extrusion process when made for example of aluminum orother extrudable material. Sleeve members may, however, be arranged inother positions such as transverse of the tubular section 4 as shown inFIG. 5, the axis of the sleeve thus extending in a directionperpendicular to that of the axis of the tubular section. This permitsmounting the tubular section on a horizontal structural bar 18 whereuponthe sleeve members 11a extend upwardly to rotatably receive a pivot postof a display unit, thus converting the horizontal structural bar member18 into a rotatable display fixture.

The tubular wall portion 5 may either completely surround the centralcavity 6 of the tubular section 4 as illustrated in FIG. 2, or it mayonly partially surround the central cavity 6 as illustrated in theembodiment of FIG. 3. As mentioned above, the sleeve members 11 may alsobe formed with walls 14a which only partially surround the sleeve bore15. A gap is thus provided in the wall portions of both the tubularsection 4 and each of the sleeve members 11. A convenient andinexpensive method of manufacturing such sleeved tubular sections,having the respective axes of the sleeves and tubular section extendingin parallel relation, will now be described.

A bar of aluminum or other extrudable material of desired thickness andof any convenient length is first obtained. An extrusion die 19 as shownin FIG. 8 is then provided, having die openings 20 conforming to thedesired cross-sectional configuration of the walls 14a of the sleevemembers 11 and the wall portion 5 of the tubular section 4, each ofwhich have gaps in their respective wall portions as illustrated in FIG.4. The need of extrusion core means which would otherwise be required toform the sleeve bores 15 and the cavity portion 6 of the tubularsection, if such bores and cavity were completely surrounded by theirrespective walls, is thereby eliminated. The bar of aluminum or otherextrudable material is then forced through the die in a conventionalextrusion operation, to produce a continuous length of tubing 21 havingone or more sleeves formed thereon, both the tubing and sleeves havingcontinuous longitudinal gaps in their respective walls as described.Such extruded sleeved tubing 21 is then 'cut cross-sectionally intoshorter lengths as illustrated in FIG. 9, such lengths corresponding tothe length required to rotatably hold a desired pivot post 12 of adisplay unit 13 in said sleeve. Only two steps are required to thuseconomically produce the sleeved sectional tubing as described, (1)forcing the extrudable bar through the described extrusion die, and (2)cross-sectionally cutting the extruded length into the desired sleevedtubular sections.

The spacing sections 3 are similar in construction to the sleevedtubular sections 4 with which they are to be used, including a wallportion 5a extending around a central cavity portion 6a. The interiorand exterior sides of the wall portion 5a correspond to those of thesleeved tubular section, but the spacing sections 3 do not have sleevemembers arranged on the exterior side wall. The spacing sections arepreferably constructed of the same material as the sleeved tubularsections and with the same exterior fluting or other decorative design.

Both the sleeved tubular sections 4 and spacing sections 3 may beconstructed with mating sections in the form described in United StatesPatent No. 3,131,792, adapted to be snapped together on a bar member toenclose the same and present an external substantially joint-freeappearance. One or both of the mating sections of the sleeved tubularsections constructed in this manner include sleeve members arranged onthe exterior side wall.

In using the sleeved tubular sections 4 and spacing sections 3 toconvert an upright structural bar member 2 into a rotatable displayfixture, sections are selected corresponding to the cross-sectionalconfiguration and dimensions of the bar member 2. A length of suchspacing section 3 is then selected and mounted on the bar member 2,either by positioning over the top to receive the bar member 2 in thecentral cavity portion 6a and sliding the spacing section 3 down to thebase 22 on which the bar member 2 is mounted or if the spacing sections3 are constructed with mating sections as described in United StatesPatent No. 3,131,792, by snapping the mating sections together on thebar member at its lowermost point. A sleeved tubular section 4 is thenselected and similarly mounted on the bar member 2 resting against thespacing section 3. Another spacing section 3 of desired length is nextmounted on the bar 2, then another sleeved tubular section 4, and thusalternately mounting spacing sections 3 and sleeved tubular sections 4as desired for the entire length of the structural bar member 2.

The spacing sections 3 are selected of such length as to space sleevedtubular sections 4 a distance that will.

permit rotation of a display unit 13 and an article placed thereon, andto also allow space for insertion and withdrawal of the pivot post 12 ofdisplay units 13.

The wall portion 5 of the sleeved tubular section 4 preferably includesone or more fiat sides 23 in its crosssectional configuration for use onstructural bar members of corresponding cross-sectional configuration,such as U-shaped, square, or rectangular for example, which will preventrotation of the sleeved tubular section 4 on the bar member. The sleevedtubular sections may also be ovular in cross-sectional configuration foruse on corresponding bar members of such configuration, which will alsoprevent rotation on a corresponding ovular bar member. However, thecross-sectional configuration of the wall portion 5b as shown in FIG. 6may also be circular for use on bar members of circular cross-section.In this case, holding means such as set screw 24 may be provided to bearagainst the wall of the bar member and hold the circular sleeved tubularsection 4b against rotation with respect to the bar member. Such holdingmeans may also be utilized to hold a sleeved tubular section 4 and 4bfrom longitudinal movement with respect to the bar member 2 and in suchconstruction the sleeved tubular sections 4 and 4b may be used withoutspacing sections if desired. Any conventional holding means, such asabutments affixed to the bar member and other well known means, may beemployed to hold the sleeved tubular sections from longitudinal movementwith respect to the bar member in lieu of the preferred spacingsections.

To convert a horizontal bar member 18 into a rotatable display fixture,sleeved tubular sections 4 having sleeve members 11a arrangedtransversely of the tubular section are selected. The horizontal barmember 18 is then inserted in the central cavity portion 6 of thedesired number of tubular sections 4, in which position the transversesleeve members 11a will extend vertically. The pivot posts 12 ofrotatable display units 13 may then be inserted for rotation in thesleeve members 11a to convert the horizontal structural bar member 18into a rotatable display fixture.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, the Wall portion 50 includes athick segment 25 through which sleeve bores 15 extend longitudinally andsleeve bores 15a extend laterally of the tubular section 4. Thisarrangement permits use of such tubular sections on either vertical orhorizontal structural bar members. The lateral sleeve bores 15a may beobviously omitted if desired for use only on vertical bar members, orthe longitudinal sleeve bores 15 may be omitted if desired for use onlyon horizontal bar members.

It is to be understood that the particular forms of the inventiondescribed herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings arepreferred embodiments, and that various changes in the shape, size,materials and arrangement of parts may be made.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A sleeved tubular section for rotatable display units, comprising aperipheral wall portion, a central cavity surrounded by said wallportion, a sleeve positioned outwardly of said cavity, a circular borethrough said sleeve adapted to receive for rotation the pivot post of arotatable display unit, the longitudinal extent of said sleeve andcircular bore being long relative to said pivot post to provide supportalong a substantial portion of its length to maintain said pivot post insubstantial co-axial alignment with said circular bore when receivedtherein and to prevent canting of said pivot post Within said sleevewhen articles of weight are placed for display on said rotatable displayunit.

2. A sleeved tubular section as set forth in claim 1, wherein said wallportion surrounding said cavity includes at least one flat side in itscross-sectional configuration to hold said tubular section againstrotation relative to a structural bar member received in said centralcavity, the cross-sectional configuration and dimension of said cavitycorresponding substantially to the cross-sectional configuration anddimension of that part of said bar member received in said cavity tohold said tubular section against transverse movement relative to saidstructural bar member, said sleeve including a sleeve wall extend ingaround said circular bore for a distance greater than one-half thecircumference of said bore but less than the entire circumference ofsaid bore, the axis of said bore through said sleeve being parallel tothe axis of said cavity.

3. A sleeved tubular section as set forth in claim 1, wherein saidcavity is adapted to receive a structural bar member of a store fixture,said wall portion includes a thick segment through its longitudinalextent, said sleeve and circular bore being formed through said thicksegment and adapted to receive for rotation the pivot post of arotatable display unit, and a second circular bore formed through saidthick segment in a direction perpendicular to that of the firstmentioned circular bore.

4. A sleeved tubular section as set forth in claim 1, wherein saidcavity defined by said wall portion is adapted to receive a structuralbar member of a store fixture, said circular bore of said sleeveextending in a direction perpendicular to that of the axis of saidtubular section, said circular bore thereby extending vertically toreceive the pivot post of a display unit for rotation when said tubularsection is mounted on a horizontal bar member of said store fixture.

5. Tubular sections for rotatable display units, including a sleevedtubular section and a spacing tubular section, said sleeved tubularsection comprising a peripheral wall portion having at least one flatside, a cavity defined by said wall portion adapted to receive astructural bar member of a store fixture, said bar member having acrosssectional configuration corresponding to the cross-sectionalconfiguration of said cavity, a sleeve member positioned on the exteriorside of said wall portion, a circular bore extending through said sleevemember adapted to receive for rotation the pivot post of a rotatabledisplay unit, said bore extending vertically when said tubular sectionis mounted on said structural bar member, said sleeve member being longrelative to said pivot post to support it in substantial co-axialalignment with said circular bore when received therein and to preventcanting of said pivot post, said spacing tubular section comprising aperipheral wall portion and a cavity defined by said wall portion, saidcavity of said spacing tubular section being adapted to receive saidstructural bar member, the cross-sectional configuration of said cavityof the spacing tubular section corresponding to the cross-sectionalconfiguration of that part of said bar member received therein, saidspacing tubular section being adapted for abutment against said sleevedtubular section when said sections are mounted on said structural barmember, said spacing tubular section being of a length to space saidsleeved tubular section from a second such sleeved tubular sectionmounted, above on said structural bar member that distance needed toinsert and withdraw rotatable display units therein and therefromwithout interfering with said second sleeved tubular section and adisplay unit therein.

6. A rotatable display fixture, comprising a structural bar member,spacing tubular sections slidingly mounted on said structural bar memberand in spaced apart relationship, sleeved tubular sections slidinglymounted on said bar member and interspersed between said spacingsections in abutting relationship therewith, at least one sleeve formedexteriorly on each of said sleeved sections, said sleeve comprising asleeve wall and a cylindrical bore extending vertically when saidsections are mounted on said bar member to rotatably receive a pivotpost of a device, said sleeve wall bounding said bore being longrelative to said pivot post to maintain said pivot post in substantialco-axial alignment with said bore when received therein to preventcanting of said pivot post, said tubular sections including a peripheralWall portion having at least one flat side and having a cross-sectionalconfiguration and dimensions substantially corresponding to those ofsaid structural bar member on which they are mounted to preventrotational and transverse movement of one with respect to the other.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,028,593 6/1912 Naumann 1081052,023,047 12/ 1935 Ganoe 52--720 2,388,297 11/ 1945 Slaughter.

2,415,243 2/ 1947 Hickman.

2,692,689 10/ 1954 Wynne 108-139 XR 3,007,558 11/1961 Miller 527383,223,449 12/1965 Naylor 297-437 XR 3,371,963 3/ 1968 Weller 297-4453,131,792 5/1964 Gronemon et al. 5238 ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary ExaminerR. D. KRAUS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

